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L.A.'s hottest Yelp.com restaurant critic is a sassy Jewish grandma in Boyle Heights

The online review site Yelp.com is a phenomenon, giving ordinary consumers the power to make or break the places where they spend their money. There are all kinds of Yelpers-- some just sign in to complain about rotten service, while others seem to review their lives away. And Yelp's most lively section is the restaurant reviews, where constant diners distinguish themselves with original voices, offbeat discoveries and insightful feedback.

Among the most interesting and unique of these Yelp restaurant critics honored with two citywide "Review of the Day" selections and eagerly followed by dozens of fans is Barbara "Cutie" Cooper, the 92-year-old Jewish grandma who, with her husband Harry, makes up L.A.'s oldest blogging couple, The OGs (which stands for "original grandparents" and is a play on "original gangsters").

Barbara and Harry live at Hollenbeck Palms, the oldest retirement home in California, in historic Boyle Heights, just east of the L.A. River. By the time Barbara and Harry married in 1937, the Jewish community was fleeing the old neighborhood for points west, and they never expected to come back. But when their grandchildren were looking for the best place for them to live, nothing could compare to the not-for-profit Hollenbeck. And so these two 90-something west L.A. Jews came back to the old neighborhood and grandma Barbara started her career as a food blogger, on Yelp and in occasional video blog entries at The OGs blog.

Barbara's tastes are simple, but she knows what she likes and isn't afraid to dole out criticism when deserved. Of downtown's hip new fave BOTTEGA LOUIE, Barbara raves about the soufflé ("it's cheaper than Paris") but dings the slow service. She loves PHILIPPE THE ORIGINAL for the people-watching and juicy French Dip sandwiches, but the long lines inspire the suggestion that you "find a nice seat and make your grandkids wait in line for you." APPLEBEE'S is a guilty pleasure, where she loves the signature Riblets but suspects they might be made of rabbit parts.

This month, the OGs celebrate 72 years of marriage, and at 97 and 92 they're still going strong, enjoying Los Angeles, good eats and good adventures with their family and friends.

http://barbaracooper.yelp.com/
http://www.the-ogs.com/